The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-11-03
Prohibition In Georgia.

Prohibition In Georgia.
ATLANTA, October 24.-When Cover
nor Gordon vas asksdifor. sfopinion Of
prohibition as ezempli6ed in this State,
he said:
"Prohibition has been tried through
local option in one hundred out of one
hundred and thirty.seyen counties of the
State, and I do not know that one county
has gone back on its action. I do not
hesitate to pronounce the result good so
far as they are concerned. For Atlanta
it certainly has not damaged us snd, in
some very important regards, it has been
of most material service to the freedmen,
who were in the habit of spending at the
low grog-shops on the outskirts of the
city a greater part and often all of their
earnings; to the laboriDg white classes
in the same degree, as they now spend
their money in comforts for their fami-
lies, and to young men who were in the
habit of social drinking about billiard
E.and barrooms. I do not by any means
wish to convey the idea that the people
of Atlanta were more addicted to drink
ling than any other, but it serves as an
illustration, assit is the only city Of its
size in which the question has been fully
tested. All reports as to damage to bust
|. ness are false, and I am sure that the
benefits to the three classes named far
outbalanee. any evils outside. In the
rural districts, its good influence is
iattested by the great decrease in the
criminal side of our Court dockets."
"Do you not think that the same ben
|iefts could be gained by high license?"
"In the city it might; it would at
least break up the low grog shops, and SO
would probably be almost as eficacious
for the two first classes named as prohi.
bition."
"Do you think that the freedmen are
'advancing?"
"Most decidedly so, both in intelli-
gence and material prosperity. They
are much more conservative in all their
views and are beginning to appreciate the
advantages of education: They are rap.
idly recovering from the prejudices of
the past, and recognize their employers
as their best friends. Cordiality between
the races is rapidly increasing"
Your correspondent asked if there was
any truth in the charge so often brought
by the Northern press that the freedmen
are restrained in their rights and coerced
into voting with the whites.
~ regret to see the total misapprehen.
1:sion which exists in the North on this
subject. The fact is that nearly the
whole of our white population is Demo.
cratic. The freedmen who hold property
naturally vote with the property. holding
whites, and this prevents many who are
not property holders from taking active
parts in politics, or feeling an interest in
political agitations. But perhaps still
more potent influence in preventing the
negroes from voting is the fact that in
many of our Southern States there is no
such thing as vigorous and wise leader
ship among the Republicans in whom the
freedmen; once had such confidence, and
who after the war consolidated the negro
vote; once defeated at the polls they
abandoned the field, and the freedmen,
disgusted and without leaders and the
stimulus of novelty which at first made
every man sure voter, ceased to take
any interest in politics, either in neglect
ing to vote altogether, or falling in with
the majority. 1 add another fact without
partisan feeling that most potent reason
for the change of feeling between the
two races in the South is the encourage.
mentswhich the whites have given to the
freedmen in furnishing them with educa-
tional facilities far superior to what they
received under their former leaders when
they held the .reins of government, and
these privileges are bestowed by taxation
upon the whites themselves, they holding
the bulk of taxable property. The abso-
lutte correctness of this analysis of the
negro vote in the South is proved by the
fact that upon such subjects as they per.
sonally cannot fail to take an interest in,
their vote is fully polled. As an in
stance, on prohibition all voted, and the
negro brought the balance on his side.
Also on the fence laws, which compel the
farmer to pen his cattle and allow him to
leave cultivated fields uninclosed, the
negroes always vote and the verdict is
with them. All arguments that may be
submitted and all suggestions combined
going to prove that there is suppression
of the freedman's vote in the South be-
cause of political bias must be silent be.
fore these indisputablc cts."-Cor. Nep
| York Nail and Eaprcss.